Bill McKelveyProject Coordinator

Power Up Your Pantry

Power Up Your Pantry is a University of Missouri programintended for food pantries and other hunger relief groupslooking for ways to enhance their current operations andbetter meet the needs of the people they serve.

Power Up Your Pantry

There are many ways to connect with us!

• Power Up Your Pantry Lunchbox Learning (live and recorded sessions): http://foodsecurity.missouri.edu/power-up/power-up-lunchbox-learning/

• Join the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/powerupyourpantry/

• Tentative: Launch of a Grant Writing Community of Practice and Planning for regional or statewide conference

Communicating about Food Insecurity Using Client Surveys and Other Data

Power Up Your Pantry

Common goals behind communicating about your

pantry include… Raising funds

Raising awareness

Recruiting volunteers

It’s especially key to getting what you need for your pantry and the people you serve.

Scope of this webinar

Previous webinars covered communicating with donors and stakeholdersFundraising 101: What Is It? Where Does the Money Come From and Where Does it Go? There Is a Method to the Madness: The Donor Cycle Fighting the Fear: How to Ask and Make a Donor Visit The Power of Words: Fund Raising and Thank You Letters It Takes More than One Person: How to Engage Board and Other Volunteers in Fund Raising and How to Effectively Track Donors

Access those online on the Lunchbox Learning page. A link to the page will be in any email you’ve received from Bill.

We want to focus this webinar on communicating on behalf of your food pantry and the people you serve

Communication hurdles: changing the narrative

Food insecurity simply means a of lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods (USDA).

• It’s not always a lasting or reoccurring condition among households

• For others food insecurity is a chronic condition

Public perception

• Attitudes like “They eat better than I do” or “They drive brand new cars” still persist towards people who use food pantries.

• For people who use food pantries there is also a fear of being tagged as “taking handouts”.

• Almost half of adults view hunger as a problem in the US, however that number drops to 24% when it comes to their own communities (Food Research and Action Center, 2014).

You are in the unique position to educate and address misconceptions about people who

use your services through your communication activities

MythsMost families who use food pantries…

Live mostly in cities

RealityMost families who use food pantries…

Are unemployed Have at least one working adult

Are homeless Have a home

Commonly live in rural areas

Have too many kids Consist of 2-3 people

Sources: Feeding America and Startasoupkitchen.org,Policy Brief, Mizzou Institute of Public Policy

Are lazy 40% garden as another source for food

It’s always the same people who use food pantries

Food pantry use is NOT a chronic condition for many people

What you can do…

Get information

Share information

First, understand the people you serve

How can we improve communication?

How do you make food last?

How can we improve our services to better meet your needs?

Talk to your guests!

Involve them in the discussion of what you want to do (i.e. client surveys), why, and ask for their input.

What do you want donors to know about you?

For example:Host 2-3 discussion groups, at different times, where you provide coffee and snacks. Let guests know what you’re trying to do and invite them to come and give their input.

What can we do better?

Client surveys

To get a picture of who you serve– what questions do you want answered?

Tips for doing client surveys

Surveys• Before, during and after check-in, but depends on

pantry • Have a person dedicated to handing out surveys • Choose a time that doesn’t take up clients’ time• Have a quiet area where the client will feel

comfortable• Can do online (need internet and computer);

paper probably more efficient

Tips for doing client surveys

Surveys • Useful data will include 20%-30% of monthly

households to better reflect your entire population • Keep length at 5-7 minutes to complete; • Printed copies can go on clipboard for people to

complete themselves or you can assign a volunteer or volunteers to conduct interviews

We’ll provide a template to get started, but you can tailor to your pantry needs and goals

Survey: adapted from the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri

Survey introductionThank them for their timeApproximate time to completeAnswers are anonymous and confidentialContact information if they have questions

Types of questions (Central Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri)18 multiple choice questions (multiple choice, open-ended, Likert scale, check all that apply)

Multiple choice: How often do you visit this or another food pantry?

Likert scale: How satisfied are you with the following qualities of food offered by the food pantry (Very satisfied Verysatisfied; don’t know)

Select all that apply: Which of the following challenged do you/your household have related to the food you get from this food pantry? (Select all that apply)

Open ended: What could this food pantry do better?

Analyzing data

• Tally system, use excel• Volunteer that understands excel and functions

Morgan County Putting survey results into action

How to use survey results to inform public-facing stories

Confidentiality of collected data and identities of people who use your pantry

Generalized information can help inform how you tell your pantry’s story and the people you serve

• Build or recruit support for possible services your pantry could offer • Word of mouth, just talking about it to friends, family, and potential donors

If a client survey is not feasible, consider other freely available data sources that are localized

Feeding America’s Map the Meal GapWebsite: map.feedingamerica.org

http://foodsecurity.missouri.edu/projects/missouri-hunger-atlas/

County Profile

Google search: Missouri Hunger Atlas

Distilling information into key messages

Key messages are the main points you want your audience to know

Involve stakeholders and volunteers!

Distilling information into key messages

Start brainstorming answers to questions like• What is the main message we want to share with our audience

(guests, donors, stakeholders)? What’s the goal or outcome?• Why is this message important to the audience• Why should audience be motivated? (i.e. the value proposition)

Key messages should be…Concise readable in under 30 secondsRelevant to your audienceCompelling information meant to stimulate actionSimple, easy to understand languageMemorable easy to recall and repeat

*The pillar messages include specific asks, evidence of the

need, and value proposition for the potential donors

What are your goals?

Client surveys can help justify your goals

Let the community know what your goals for the food pantry are

For example: According to a survey of people who visit our food pantry, the number one challenge is that children and the elderly have to wait in a line in the heat. This is one of the reasons the Stoddard County Food Pantry is announcing a fund drive to build an annex.

*The messages

include evidence of

the need and value

proposition for the

potential donors

Identify target audience (who you want to hear your message)

What is the main point you want them to know?

What action do you want them to take?

Develop key messages/message pillars and use data from your research to share

Reaching people

Reaching people

*The messages

include evidence of

the need and value

proposition for the

potential donors

Identify target audience (who you want to hear your message)

What is the main point you want them to know?

What action do you want them to take?

Develop key messages/message pillars and use data from your research to share

Reaching people

Reaching people

Where do we communicate?

Facebook: groups and community pagesRadioWord of mouth!

Newspaper/Newsletters!

Church bulletin!

Flyers!Where’s the pulse of your community?

Keep talking

• Before sharing messages, get feedback from a few people in your targeted audience• Let people know what you need; be specific in what you ask• Take advantage of partnerships to share your messages• Always include your contact information on any materials you put out

Remember…

We’ve gone over best practices, but whatever works for your pantry is a best practice for you!

In part 2 we will cover…

Easy to use tools to create shareable content

How to analyze and respond to media coverage related to your food pantry or food insecurity

September 25 at Noon

Upcoming webinars

Three-part series on Burnout, Boards, and Creating a Fundraising Committee starting October 9.

Keep posted or feel free to contact Bill at McKelveyWA@Missouri.edu or 573-882-4973

Thanks for joining us!